Former N.C. State coach Jim Valvano is hoisted up by his team after a shocking upset. / Associated Press

by Scott Gleeson, USA TODAY Sports

by Scott Gleeson, USA TODAY Sports

Welcome to another session of Bracket Briefing, our attempt to provide you with essential information on the Big Dance - highlighting the Florida Gulf Coasts of the college basketball world, and forecasting the Wichita State moments before they happen.

At the water cooler: In conjunction with the 75th edition of the NCAA tournament's Final Four, six USA TODAY Sports panelists ranked every Final Four, 1-74. Time-consuming would be an understatement. Of all the names and memorable moments in the event's history - John Wooden, Michael Jordan, Henry Iba, John Thompson, Christian Laettner - the panelists deemed the Final Four featuring the national title-game matchup of Magic Johnson's Michigan State squad pitted against Larry Bird's Indiana State underdog team as the greatest of all-time.

History made: Obviously, we'll always have the What Ifs (i.e., Gordon Hayward's halfcourt miss that would have led Butler over Duke). Now as we near Saturday's showdowns, everyone is hoping for either a close, down-to-the-wire game or a thrilling upset. Considering whichever team wins out of No. 4 seeds Michigan and Syracuse won't be considered a giant slayer, that leaves No. 9 seed Wichita State to knock off the obvious favorite Louisville. Should that not happen, here are four stunning outcomes to look back on that still resonate with college hoops fans.

No. 1: The dramatic conclusion of North Carolina State's 54-52 victory over Houston in the 1983 championship game made it a particularly stunning upset. Houston was No. 1 in the country and had beaten No. 2 Louisville by 13 points before the signature picture of Jim Valvano running around looking for a player to hug was created.

No. 3: After Kansas shockingly beat Duke in the 1988 semifinals, the sixth-seeded Jayhawks fed off Danny Manning's 31 points and 18 rebounds to stun No. 1 Oklahoma State 83-79 in the 1988 national title game.

No. 4: Texas Western's 72-65 upset win over Kentucky in the 1966 title game wasn't as much an upset as much as it was a wake-up call for change.

Outside the Dance: The CollegeInsider.com Tournament stole the NIT's spotlight when Akeem Richmond drained a three-pointer at the buzzer to lift East Carolina over Weber State 77-74.

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Final Four fact: Louisville, Syracuse and Wichita State all had three-game losing streaks this year. Michigan lost three of four at the start of February and went on to get stunned by Penn State at the end of the month.